Ministry of Civil Aviation awards Letters of Intent for Establishment of 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs)

In a significant step towards strengthening India’s pilot training ecosystem and supporting the country’s rapidly expanding civil aviation sector, Letters of Intent (LoIs) were awarded today for the establishment of 11 new Flying Training Organisations (FTOs) across seven Airports Authority of India (AAI) airports by Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.

Expansion of Flying Training Organisations (FTOs)
- New LoIs: 11 new FTOs awarded across 7 AAI airports.
- Current Ecosystem: 41 FTOs operating from 63 flying bases.
- Impact: Adds capacity for 750 cadets per year, strengthening India’s domestic pilot pipeline.

Growth in Training Capacity
- Past 2 Years: 6 new FTOs established.
- Training Aircraft: Increased from 324 to 385.
- Flying Hours: 25% rise in annual flying hours.
- Pilot Output: CPLs issued rose from 1,347 (2024) to 1,652 (2025)—highest in a decade. 2026 expected to grow further.

Policy Reforms
- Liberalisation of FTO policy.
- Abolition of airport royalties.
- Rationalisation of land rentals.
- Digitisation of CPL exams via Pariksha Portal.
- India now the second country to issue electronic pilot licenses.

DGCA’s FTO Ranking Framework
- Designed to make pilot training transparent and data-driven.
- Reduction in Category ‘C’ FTOs, increase in Category ‘B’.
- IGRUA benchmark: 1,765 flying hours per aircraft annually (global benchmark ~1,500).
- IGRUA recorded a 27% revenue increase and closed FY 2025–26 with a surplus after decades of deficits.

Indigenous Development
- Progress on HANSA-3 (NG) trainer aircraft, strengthening self-reliant aviation training.

New Digital Tool
- Launch of FTO IFR Slot Booking App:
- Provides visibility of available IFR training slots.
- Enables digital slot booking requests.
- Ensures fair and optimal use of airport infrastructure.

Minister’s Vision
- “Train in India, Fly in India” to meet demand from 1,640 aircraft on order and ~500 inductions in next 5 years.
- Emphasis on safety culture, instructor oversight, and adherence to SOPs.

This initiative represents a major leap in India’s aviation workforce development, ensuring the country can meet the demands of one of the fastest-growing aviation markets globally.